Can you take Deutetrabenazine while pregnant?
Last updated September 7, 2026.
**Usually not: deutetrabenazine is generally avoided in pregnancy because there are no adequate human studies, and the decision belongs to you and your neurologist together.** What changes the answer is why you take it. If it is for tardive dyskinesia, the movements themselves do not harm a fetus, so many people pause the drug or switch approaches while pregnant. If it is for chorea in Huntington disease, uncontrolled movements can cause falls, weight loss, and trouble swallowing, so the balance may favor continuing at the lowest dose that works. The most useful habit is to raise pregnancy plans at a routine visit rather than after a positive test, since changes are easier to make before conception.
What to do
- Plan before conception: Bring up pregnancy plans at a routine visit so any change happens before you are pregnant, not during the first trimester.
- Never stop abruptly on your own: Call the prescriber first, since chorea and mood symptoms can return quickly after a missed dose.
- Know why you take it: Tardive dyskinesia and Huntington chorea lead to different decisions, so make sure your obstetric team knows which one applies to you.
- Watch mood carefully: This drug carries a boxed warning for depression and suicidal thoughts in people with Huntington disease, and pregnancy is already a high-risk time for mood changes.
- Ask about the lowest effective dose: If you continue treatment, ask whether your dose can be reduced while still controlling movements.
- Keep one medication list: Share every prescription, supplement, and over-the-counter product with both your neurologist and your prenatal clinician at each visit.
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